It’s not every day you awaken to an organ grinder playing a loud, German street organ while walking down the middle of your street. I heard the sound and couldn’t figure out what was going on. Alas, this is what I saw from my balcony. Organ grinders became popular street performers in the early 19th […]
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Fondue
In this part of Europe, fondue is not relegated to kitschy Alpine-themed restaurants or 1970’s sitcoms. Instead, it is a very serious winter tradition to be served with fendant, a Swiss white wine. The earliest recorded fondue recipe was from a 1699 Swiss cookbook. However, the recipe was a bit different – it called for […]
Bûche de Noël
Bûche de Noël (you might recognize it as a yule log) is a delicious Christmas specialty, popular in Luxembourg, France and Belgium. These log-shaped cakes were traditionally made with sponge cake and chocolate buttercream and garnished to look like a log that would be ready to be tossed onto the pile in the ancient fire-festival […]
A Luxembourg Christmas
In Luxembourg, as in much of Europe, Christmas Eve is the big night. Families gather together around the Christmas tree in the early evening and later attend Midnight Mass. The most popular mass is at The Eglise Saint Michel at the Fëschmaart. A popular English-language mass is at The Anglican Church in the Konvikt Chapel […]
Gift Wrapping
One of the best parts of Christmas shopping in Luxembourg is the complimentary gift-wrapping service offered in every shop and mall. Of course, then you have to remember who gets which package…
Kleeschen, or St. Nicholas
In Luxembourg, there is no Santa Claus. Instead, Kleeschen, or St. Nicholas, descends from heaven on the evening of December 5th. He visits every child’s house and consults his trusty “Book of Sins.” If the child has been good, he will put sweets into the waiting shoes that the child thoughtfully placed near the fireplace […]
Crèche, or Nativity
Nativity scenes, or crèches, play a significant role in Europe. In some countries, like France and Italy, the crèche is the focus of the Christmas celebration. In addition to the Holy Family, traditional village folk characters such as doctors and bakers frequently populate the stable. The first crèche was staged on December 24, 1223 as […]
Lebkuchen
‘Tis the season for Lebkuchen! This gingerbread-ish, cookie-ish sweet was invented by medieval monks in Franconia, Germany in the 13th century. The earliest known bakers were in Ulm and Nürnberger. Nürnberger won the arms race and quickly became the undisputed Lebkuchen capital of the world. Germany’s tradition spread throughout Europe. Lebkuchen quickly morphed into spiced […]
Luxembourg Christmas Market
There was finally a break in the rain, so I headed out to the small Luxembourg Christmas market. I’m sad to report that neither the food nor the shopping approached the quality of Strasbourg or Trier. The latkes were too thick and unflavorful, perhaps because they were preformed and sitting in industrial-sized stacks for who-knows-how-long. […]
Heeeere’s…Strasbourg!
Is it me, or is Strasbourg the Las Vegas of France? The city spares no expense in glitzing the place up for Old St. Nick. Rest assured that no incandescent bulbs are being used, this being the EU and all. Strasbourg is the capital and principal city in the Alsace region. It is close to […]
